Chicken Spinach Enchiladas

I was at my chiropractor’s office today, and he looked concerned. My adjustments had been holding, so I wondered what else was on his mind. He confessed to me that he found the  Beef Wellington recipe I had posted to be a bit intimidating. It looked so detailed and  intricate that he was afraid to try it. It’s one thing to experiment with yellow versus vidalia onions, it’s another thing to experiment with a hundred dollars worth of beef tenderloin. He told me he’d never seen a Beef Wellington before. I told him it’s not something people usually bring to a potluck dinner.

Here’s a recipe for Chicken Spinach Enchiladas that Dr. Steve said was more his style.  I got it from one of my cousins and made it last night with leftover chicken.  I was too lazy to shave, or clean the kitchen so there is not an accompanying video, just some pictures I took with no great plan in mind.

The great thing about this recipe is you can make and refrigerate the filling and he sauce ahead of time. Gently reheat before assembling and baking the enchiladas. This recipe makes between 6 and 8 enchiladas depending on how big you roll them. I used all the sauce and cheese on 8 corn tortillas.  Leftover filling can be reheated or  used in an omelet.  I’ve made notes where I’ve made changes in the original recipe. And by original recipe I mean the recipe as it was given to me. They probably don’t use this recipe in Juárez.

FILLING

• 1 Cup diced onions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 small package of fresh mushrooms sliced (or 4 oz. can of mushrooms)
• 1 sweet red bell pepper diced (or small jar of fire roasted red pepper)
• 1/2  teaspoon ground cumin or 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 – 6 ounce bag of baby spinach
• 2 cup shredded chicken
• 2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican-style cheese
• 1 can of corn, (8 oz.) or small package of frozen corn
• 1/4 cup Philadelphia original cooking cream.

ENCHILADA SAUCE:

• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup minced scallion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chili powder +
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground coriander, sugar and pepper of your choice
• 2 cups chicken broth, stock, or chicken bouillon
• 1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)

NOTES:

A 5 oz bag of spinach cost $3.60 or close to $11 per pound at Ingle’s. You can fill a container of spinach from the salad bar for $7 a pound.

Note on Chili Powder: The 1st time I made this, I looked at the recipe and saw 1/4 teaspoon chili powder when actually the measurement as written was 1/4 cup. The sauce tasted different, something was missing, then I realize what it was. It was the overwhelming taste of chili powder. Even when you’re making chili you don’t want the flavor of chili powder to overpower the other ingredients, that is unless you’re making opossum chili. And see now I’ve gone and offended the people up here who call opossum the other other white meat. I guess what I mean to say is, “this is one of seasonings you add to taste.” I suggest starting with 2 Tablespoons and adjust.

Additional Ingredients:  Aside from the corn and spinach there wasn’t much color in the chicken mixture. Adding the sweet red and, in this case, orange pepper provided some nice color. The mushrooms were not in the recipe that was given to me but I love mushrooms and they add a different texture to the meal. I also love the taste of fresh cilantro. If you have fresh cilantro chop some up 1/4 – 1/2 cup and toss it into the mixture

PS: Although my chiropractor wasn’t going to try making the Beef Wellington, he did try the single barrel Jack Daniels.